Guide to Reunions: Moze's Story
by darkbunny92
Summary: In Guide to:Reunions, you see Ned's side. But what's it like in Moze's world?Is it really different?And will the Reunion help their relationship?Or is it simply going to make it worse?This is the companion to Guide to:Reunions,so Reunions must be read fir
1. Somebody I'm Not

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing Ned's Declassified related. Otherwise, this would be part of the show.

Author's Notes: First thing: _**You must have read whatever has been posted of Guide to: Reunions. The two stories are linked, and this story will make absolutely no sense at all.**_ _**Period. So if you haven't read it, you should go to my profile and read it.**_ Also. Once the first three chapters of this story are up, then posting schedule will work like this. When each story gets 5 reviews... I will post the new chapters for both of them.

_"Do you know what today is?" Ned asked Moze with an earnest expression on his face. The two of them were lying in their favorite spot: The earthquake ravaged field. _

_"The end of our ninth grade finals?" Moze looked up at the twinkling stars above her face. "Friday?" _

_"Much more exciting than that." Ned reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver box. _

_"We're too young to get married" Moze stared at the box in bewilderment. "Holy crap, Ned!"_

_"I know that" Ned opened it up and showed her the contents: A silver heart with shiny clear stones embedded all the way along it dangled sideways from a thin silver chain. _

_Moze just stared at it longer. "Really?" She lifted it out of the box gingerly, as if it were to disappear if she touched it. _

_"They're real" Ned said softly. "The diamonds, I mean..."_

_"It's beautiful" Moze held it in her palm._

_"Only something beautiful for my.."_

_"Don't finish that" Moze smiled as she reached behind her to latch it. _

"Jennifer?" A voice interrupts her and brings her back to earth. "Are you okay? You've been staring in that mirror for a long time" Moze looks up for a second, and realizes she's in Suzie's white SUV, on her way to school.

Moze, who is holding a cream colored mirror in her left hand, lowers it, and snaps it shut without looking at the source of the voice. "Just checking to make sure my eyelids are matching in color."

"It was like you were on another planet" Suzie, the source of the voice, raises an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" Suzie, as usual, looked like she stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. She's wearing a yellow dress and black heels, with a floppy yellow bow holding up her ponytail.

"I'm fine" Moze lies as she looks down at her jeans. _**Why am I thinking about that? It was so long ago... **_she thinks as she picks absently at a hole in the knee. Moze always thought it looked somewhat sloppy when girls had holes in their pants. But the latest style was jeans with gaping holes, so that was what she had to wear. In order to match the rest of the girls in her group. _**And I thought that I had buried those memories so deep they could never be found.**_

Long ago, in a matter of speaking, was more than 2 years ago. That was the old girl. When she was still called Moze, had big brown eyes, and wasn't the most popular girl around. Now...

Moze unsnapped the tiny mirror and gazed at her reflection. She was hardly recognizable anymore. Her naturally brown eyes were now a sapphire blue (thanks to a pair of color contacts), her hair had lighter highlights, and her eyelids were coated in a thin layer of light blue eyeshadow.

"Who do you think you are, Missy?" Suzie mocks jokingly. "You look fine."

"I was thinking about the Reunion.. And I forgot what I was doing" Moze murmurs . _**Liar. That's the last thing on your mind right now.**_

"Are you worried that you won't have a date?" Suzie smirks. "Don't sweat it. You're part of the 10 now. And that's never a worry for us"

Moze can just imagine hear a record scratching. "We. Have. To. Bring. Dates?" She pauses after every word. "What? Why was I not informed about it?"

"Well, it's not really a requirement" Suzie bites her lip as she turns the SUV right. "But it kinda reflects poorly onto our group otherwise, you know?"

"Oh, like that's my highest priority" Moze says half-jokingly. _**Your highest priority right now, is finding out why Ned Bigby is back in your mind again when you expunged him **_hisses the inner voice grumpily.

"It'll sound pretentious" Suzie says patiently. "But our group.. we're pretty concerned about our image"

_**Oh really**_ the inner voice snarls. _**I hadn't noticed, the way you worry about your makeup and your hair, and how much people like you. **_

"And Jennifer? Just between you and me?" Suzie sighs dramatically. "If you make a wrong move with these girls.. you're done. And it's a long way to fall.. especially considering we're your only friends"

Moze opens her mouth to rebut her. She finds that she has no way to respond to that.

Suzie reaches an arm over to the glove compartment. When it pops open, she yanks out a black address book and tosses it to Moze.

"Doesn't the DMV call that a bad driving habit?" Moze chuckles weakly.

"Shut up" Suzie places both hands on the wheel once more and gives Moze a dirty look.

"So this is Suzie Crabgrass's little black book?" Moze thumbs through it aimlessly. "What do I need this for?"

"There's a guy in there.. he's one of my exes from a while back. We're on pretty amicable terms lately.. so if I tell him to, he'll be your 'boyfriend' for the day"

Suzie rolls the SUV into a parking spot near the side entrance. "His name is.."

Suddenly, a truck goes by, causing the name of the boy to be unheard.

"So I'll call him,and he'll escort you. I'm sure of it" Suzie confidently finishes.

"Um, okay" Moze says, completely flabbergasted. _**Tell her what you really think...that she's out of her freaking mind, this is insane..**_ the inner voice protests. But Moze does none of that. Instead, she keeps her mouth shut.

"Good" Suzie unlocks the door and gets. Moze follows suit and walks out, her heels clicking on the road noisily.

When they get inside, the first thing Moze sees is their group of girls that she calls her friends crowded around a locker mirror, applying lipstick. On further inspection, it is Missy's locker.

The first girl on the left is Melissa Meany (otherwise known as Missy).. _**No deep, thought involved explanation needed there **_Moze thinks _**Snobby, fashion obsessed little skank who only wants a guy if he's not available**_

Next to Missy is Meredith Black.(best known as Merry) Merry was tall, blond and basically Suzie's hanger-oner This was made even more obvious by how she scurried out of Suzie's way and gave her spot in front of the mirror. "Morning, Suzie" She smiles perkily. "Here, I saved you a spot" _**Annoying little suck up **_ Moze says to herself

To this, Suzie nods. "Thanks, Mer" She pops a raspberry colored lipstick out of her handbag and applies it evenly.

Moze just stands there and watches them buzz around. She'd never been a makeup kind of girl. _**How did I become this person I don't even recognize in the mirror anymore? **_Moze sourly thinks to herself. She takes a lipstick out of her pocket and walks up to the mirror. _**Why does this feel so sickening...I thought this popularity thing was supposed to be interesting. **_In two quick strokes, she has her lips done. Moze snaps it shut and sighs mightily. Her lips look funny painted with coral colored lipstick, rather than the colorless chapstick of yesteryears.

One of the ruder girls, Jillian McDonald, shoves her way next to Moze. _**Jilly..why do you have to hang around me like that? Like you can't wait for me to slip up so you can take my place?**_

"Morning, Jen" Jilly says breezily. She squints for a moment and looks at Moze's face. "Are you getting a pimple?" She innocently wraps a strand of platinum blond hair around a manicured fingernail.

"Jennifer." Moze says with her teeth tightly clenched. "For the 12th time, it's Jennifer" Moze wisely ignores the pimple comment. _**Why am I thinking these nasty things about these people? They're supposed to be my friends. **_Then her inner voice starts talking again. _**Supposed to be are the key words here.**_

"Yeah" Jilly looks at the hallway behind them distractedly. "So Jenny.. what are you wearing to the reunion?"

"Clothes" Moze deadpans. "And it's Jennifer!"

Moze turns around and looks at the hallway. She is distantly aware that she has a fake grin plastered on her face.

"It's Boogie and Red" Jilly clarifies, mistaking Moze's gaze at the hallway as one of confusion over the identities of the two guys walking down the hallway. "They're very below us on the social ladder"

"Ned and Cookie" Moze instantly corrects. She gives the rest of the hallway a 50 watt smile,then looks at Cookie and Ned. She hadn't really looked at Cookie since junior year the year before. She noted that he hadn't changed much, beyond growing another inch. Sometimes, when she had looked at him, it was hard to believe it was Cookie without his gadgets surrounding him. Moze would put money that all of those gadgets were hidden somewhere on his person.

_**Ned..**_Moze looks at him as he walks with Cookie a few feet. She can feel her fake smile fade away as she locks eyes with him. To her displeasure, his slightly too long brown hair and light blue eyes are still as attractive to her as the year before. Even after everything that has happened. Due to the warm weather, he is wearing a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. _**Holy crap, I think I gave him that shirt. I wonder if he remembers that. **_Moze spins around on her heel and goes back to staring at a point in the locker.

"..Can **not** believe they discontinued Pomegranate Red!" Merry exclaims unhappily, distracting Moze from the spot she is focused on.

"It's like such a tragedy!" yelps Jilly with her chin slightly quavering.

Moze whips her head back to the group, and briefly rolls her eyes. Much to her relief, nobody notices. "Merry, I'm so sorry. Maybe next week we can go and get a similar tube"

Moze could swear that either Cookie or Ned had snickered when she said that. She resists the urge to spin around and tell them off. Her right hand squeezes her left, as if the dull throbbing pain will distract her. She knows the girls around her are talking about something.. Probably something irrelevant. _**Sorry guys, it's not that I don't care.. actually it is that too. I just need to figure out this Ned stuff.. Or else it's going to eat me alive. **_

"Anyway" Missy fidgets with her tube of lipstick by popping it open and shutting it and opening it over and over "There's a lot to do before Friday" She purses her lips as she thinks.

"Yeah" Suzie regains her composure and promptly takes her place as leader of the pack. "Be prepared to make a lot of noise!"

Suddenly, the whole clique turns around at the sound of a clatter. The source is Ned, whose massive stack of books has caused an Economics book to crash down.

"That was mildly annoying" Suzie glares at him. The rest of the clique follows her example. The Perfect 10 clique looks at him accusingly.

Missy, whose never follows Suzie, places an annoyed look square on her face. "Ugh, I don't see the point in this. He's not even looking"

Moze's expression flickers to a sympathetic one. _**Why do they always have to act cruel to the people they hardly know at all?**_

Ned, however doesn't notice Moze's obvious, but guarded concern, as he is facing in the opposite direction.

"Let's go Mosley" Missy corrals her away from Ned. "There's nothing to see here"

"Um..Okay"

_It was second grade, the year that Suzie Crabgrass came to their elementary school. Suzie had immediately grabbed Ned's attention, much to Moze and Cookie's annoyance. They were hanging on the monkey bars and talking. _

_"Suzie's got nice hair" Ned said dreamily. _

_"Meh, I guess" Cookie hung upside down. "Do you think that all the blood will go to my head if I do this until recess is out?" _

_"Maybe" Moze stated. "I wouldn't do it" _

_Cookie straightened up "You can just suck the fun out of anything, can't you?"_

_Moze just blinked at him. "Ned, I just have to know. What is so great about Suzie Crabgrass that you have to tell us 500 times what you think about her?"_

_"Well, she's tall, she's smart... good at sports...she calls me on my faults..." Ned counts them off on his fingers. _

_"What has __she__ got that I don't?" Moze says, tears welling in her eyes. "Why can't you just be satisfied with me!" _

_"I..." Ned just stammers. _

_ She runs off and yells back to them "Why am I never good enough!"_

_"What did I do?" Ned asks Cookie, naively. _

_"It's what you didn't do" Cookie wisely says. "You didn't tell her she was great in her own way. And she feels like she's always being compared to her" _

_"Oh" _

Read and review! Please tell me what you think!!


	2. An Encounter of the Ned Kind

Disclaimer: I do not own Ned's though how I wish I did.

Author's Notes: I am somewhat disappointed with the readership that this story has received. Considerably less readers and reviewers.. What I don't understand is why people put it on their author alerts and story alerts, but refuse to say a word whether it sucks or rocks. Please.. even a word will help me. Personally, I'm beginning to believe this was a mistake. _**Remember you must have read Reunions before this. Or at the same time.**_

_"Leave me alone!" Moze screamed at Ned with every ounce of strength in her body. Her shoes squeak on the floor in the high school. It was 11__th__ grade; December and the weather was cold and chilled you to the bone. Moze wraps her arms around her in an attempt to be warm._

_"...I don't understand" Ned gulped back "Please just let me explain.." _

_"What" Moze spun around on her heel. "What on earth could you say to me." She growled quietly. "Are you just trying to make me cry?" _

_"No." Ned slowed his pace and shuffles his feet miserably. "I'm sorry." _

_"Bullshit" Moze eschewed him and turns to the left and stared off. "You're only sorry after the fact? After you mess up? After you realize you've got nothing to lose?"  
_

_"Okay. Got me there" Ned stepped closer to her. "I could tell you what happened" _

_"But then you'd have to kill me?" Moze narrowed her eyes. But the expression that her eyes had were jovial slightly. "I think I already know."_

_"Maybe not" Ned leaned even closer to her... so close that she can feel his breath on her cheek. "I might want to keep you around" _

_"Not on your life, Mr. Bigby" Moze glanced up at hims gamely. "I'm not a pet" _

_"Oh never" Ned leaned towards her with his lips slightly puckered. Ready to kiss her. _

_"I can't" Moze pushed him and scampered away, leaving Ned standing there in the hallway watching her go. _

Moze scrambles into Mrs. Carlson's Pre Calc class, thirty seconds before the bell goes off, signaling lateness. She shakes her head slightly. That dream in the hallway.. it could have happened 10 minutes ago.. it felt so real...

"30 seconds and you would have been late" Mrs. Carlson peers over the top of her glasses at Moze.

"But I wasn't" Moze says cheerfully.

Mrs. Carlson just glared at her.

Moze walks confidently over to her desk and sits down, carefully arranging her stuff on her desk. She looks ahead two rows and one column over to see the back of Ned's brown mop of hair. _**It looks so soft**_She thinks. _**I wonder if it still is. **_She shakes her head vigorously.

Class begin, and Moze finds herself barely paying attention to the lecture. Her right hand takes notes in an uncharacteristically neat print. Suddenly, about 20 minutes into the 45 minute minute period, Mrs. Carlson stops her monotonous lecture on their topic of the day. She looks at Ned with an exasperated glance.

She takes a yardstick off of her desk and taps it in her hand a moment before slamming it down on his desk. "Mr. Bigby!" Mrs. Carlson furiously says "If you didn't fall asleep on a daily basis, and paid attention once in a blue moon, you might have even half a chance of passing this quarter!"

Ned sleepily looks up at Mrs. Carlson and regurgitates the usual apology and assertion that it will never happen again.

"I should hope not" Mrs. Carlson sharply remarks. "Mr. Bigby, shape up, or I'll have you thrown out"

Ned goes silent and just stares at the blackboard for the rest of the period. When the period ends, he scrambles out of the classroom with Lisa Zemo at his heels. Moze carefully gathers her stuff and almost makes it out of the door. Mrs. Carlson grabs her shoulder.

"Jennifer, we need to talk"

"Yes.." Moze looks at her straight in the eyes. _**Rat Face**_

Mrs. Carlson unlocks her top drawer and takes out a stack of papers. "Miss Mosley, your first test paper in this class was exceptional" She takes the first paper off the top, showing a 100 written on the top. "Now ordinarily, its not that exceptional because it's the beginning of the year, and many people do well..._**" **_

_**Way to demean my accomplishment.**_

Mrs. Carlson hands her another paper off of the stack. "But this proves that you've got a handle of the material thus far.." Moze gasps at a quiz with 100 ; her name printed on it. Mrs. C takes them both back and shows Moze another one with the name blocked. "Your other classmates did not fare so well" The paper has a 15 written on it in angry red ink.

Moze raises an eyebrow "What are you getting at here"

"How do you feel about...tutoring?" Mrs Carlson taps her claw like nails on the fake wood desk "Helping students..."

_**Well, I feel like if I say no, you'll claw my eyes out with those freakishly long nails.**_ Moze thinks with a frightened look.

"Well?"

"I'll do it" Moze says impulsively, without thinking for once in a long time what the 10s would think. "What period do I have to do it?"

"Well, you should be free third, right?" Mrs. Carlson studies Moze's schedule. "Third period study hall in the auditorium?"

"Yeah"

Mrs. Carlson hands Moze a slip of paper with her assignment written on it. "Thanks so much, Jennifer. You start on Friday"

"Okay" Moze heads to her next period, thankfully lunch, because the late bell rang a long time ago. As she walks down the hallway, she asks herself in her head _**Why even go to the cafeteria?**_

Moze turns to the left into a glass door labeled Library. When she gets inside the library, she sits down on one of the comfortable chairs, stuffs the note with her assignment for tutoring in the front pouch of her backpack. She unzips another pouch, pulls out a granola bar and takes a bite out of it as she reads a book.

-db-

"We're kidnapping you" Missy claps Moze on the shoulder.

Moze slams her locker loudly with a bang. " It depends. To where? I hear Aruba is nice this time of year"

"Ha Ha" Missy rolls her eyes. "Daddy's charge card could do that. But no"

"You really think you're funny, aren't you?" Lexy wrinkles her nose. "Jen, you're not funny"

"Ah, I think the problem is that you just don't get it" Moze wryly smiles. _**Though you probably would get it if you hadn't fried your brain with all those prescription drugs you keep stealing from your mom. **_

"We heard about your...er... problem" Lexy smiles fakely. "We are here to help you get acclimated to the dating world once more"

"Oh please" Moze smirks at Missy and Lexy. "How much can it change in the 3 month hiatus I took?" Moze picks up her backpack and heads for the nearby side entrance leading outside. She shoves the door like it has done her a personal wrong.

"Well, the way you shoved that door, it looks like you have issues" Missy picks at her cuticle as she walks outside. "And guys don't like issues. You have to hide them"

"Like I'm so not taking advice from you" Moze says. _**Because you act like a skank to get guys. **_

"And it looks like you're not happy with the idea" Lexy accuses.

"No, seriously, it's great" Moze nods insincerely. "Nothing better than having my deranged friends match me up with a guy" _**Well, except for the whole having Ned stuck in my head and having to tutor someone. That's so much better. **_

"Great" Lexy smiles brightly.

"Could you three go any slower!" Suzie yells indigently as she sticks her head out of the SUV's window.

"Whatever" Moze laughs dryly. She speeds up her pace, opens the shotgun door and climbs in. She plops down on the seat. "Mine!"

"Mosley, you're so weird" Missy says as she and Lexy climb in the backseat.

As soon as Suzie pulls out of her parking spot, she begins speaking. "Everyone, we need to make Jennifer into a guy's perfect girl for her reunion date"

"Why do we all have to do it" Bitsy grumbles. "I have got better things to do than make Jenny look hot"

_**Like make out with someone else's boyfriend, Bits? **_

"Guys..." Suzie sighs. "We should help each other when we need it"

"What are we, the Brady Bunch" Bitsy rolls her eyes.

"You know what she needs?" Lexy laughs hysterically from the back of the car. "She needs have..."

"Lexy" Jilly sternly yet patiently interrupts "Not now, okay?"

"Okay" Alexandria says quietly.

Alexandria Alicia Poison was one of the few people who couldn't get along with Moze. Perhaps it was because she was perpetually under the influence of something (Moze strongly suspected) or because Moze's somewhat recent ascent to popularity had bumped her down a notch or two. Whatever the case, Lexy's unnaturally green eyes were always a little foggy, and she always hated Moze. Those two things were constant.

Suzie pulls in front of Lexy's expensive apartment building and unlocks the car door. Lexy climbs out shakily, and staggers to the building.

"Lex?" Suzie calls after her "Are you going to be okay?"

"Mhmm" Lexy slurs as she walks shakily to the apartment building's front door.

"She's going to end up just like her mum" Bitsy murmurs as the car lurches away.

"Be nice" Moze hears herself saying.

Bitsy just nods in response. The car returns to it's usual noise, this time about what Moze is going to wear, what shoes she's going, the manicure colors...

"Purple" Suzie says. "I know she likes red better, but purple will make her hair sparkle.."

"Not the mall. No way.." Moze hears someone say. She only starts getting little bits of the conversation.

"Strappy or not?"

"Hair up or down?"

"Down..."

Moze feels herself spacing out. Pretty soon, Suzie is pulling into the driveway of her house.

"Moze?" Suzie shakes her as they come to a stop "You have to get out now"

"I know" Moze nods vaguely.

"Okay, Jennifer, I realize you probably weren't paying attention to anything on this ride. But..I think you're listening now" She grits her teeth. "But you have to go along with this. I'm fairly sure you hate the idea..."

"No" Moze cheerily "I really don't mind. I know they have the best intentions"

"Sure they do" Suzie purses her lips. "Naive, aren't you"

"Okay...?" She gets out of the car and waves goodbye, not knowing exactly what to say. The SUV drives away in a cloud of exhaust.

Suddenly, she hears footsteps and turns around.

"Hey Moze" Ned says quietly. He widely grins and leans a little on the top points in the dividing fence that existed between their yard now. Moze noted the fact that he looks nervous.

_**He looks like a maniac**_ Moze thinks _**Maybe he's just nervous. **_"Oh. you" She gets a little closer to the fence and answers as disdainfully as could be possible. "Ned." _**Crapcrapcrap I did not mean to sound that mean...**_

"Yeah" Ned replies eagerly, like a little sweet little dog.

The look she's giving him is one of disdain. She can feel it on her face. And it makes her extremely unhappy. But it's the only way she can keep up the illusion. **_And I really want to know why all of a sudden he's trying to talk to me again right when he's popping up in every daydream I have. Maybe he's psychic or something_**

"Are.. Are you going to the reunion?"

"Yes" She starts to walk to the door. "With my boyfriend" Moze emphasizes a little too loudly She goes in her door and slams it to the outdoors, and to Ned. _**What the heck are you doing!**_ The little voice screams in her head as she leans against the door. _**He's not your boyfriend!!!**_

Moze sighs. "I am so screwed up"She runs up the stairs leading to her room and throws her backpack to the floor. She hums in spite of of her...encounter a few moments ago. Moze dances around with a big grin as she puts her stuff away...something she hasn't done since her and Ned had that..skirmish back in 10th grade.

-db-

_It had been a Saturday, and Ned's mom had made them Mexican food before dashing off to work again. So it had been just her and Ned quietly munching on the tacos, nachos, and hot sauce, just enjoying each other's company. That had been about an hour ago, and they were watching a movie. _

_"Moze?" Ned's voice was quiet_

_"What?" _

_Ned's stomach gurgled and he raced to the bathroom. "I think I have the runs" He gasped through the crack in the bathroom. Moze sat on the other side. _

_"Ned." Moze stared at the ceiling. "Are you okay in there?" _

_"No.." She heard another gurgle and a sigh. _

_Moze waited another few moments. But Ned did not come out of the bathroom, presumably not for a long time. _

_"I'm going to go, then, okay?" Moze started to stand up. "Ned, I'll see you tomorrow" _

_"Wait, don't go!" Ned moaned. "I need someone in my last few moments of life!" _

_"You're not going to die" Moze scoffed. _

_"It feels like it" Ned coughed. "What will it take you to stay?" _

_"I don't know" Moze sat by the door. "I guess I'm just loyal, because I'm going to stay" She sat by the door and smiled. "So...Ned...tell me something I don't know about you." _

_"You're taking advantage of my situation" _

_"Am I?" Moze smirked "Maybe" _

Well, review. Or else I might go with my first instinct and just delete this story...It's kinda irrelevant, isn't it?


	3. TGIF Or Not

Disclaimer: I don't own Ned's Declassified.

Author's Notes: Everyone! I am going on vacation for a little over a week, so I will probably not get a chance to update a week after. Unless I get a lot of reviews for this.. to show that you really want to read it. Also: I am really surprised that you guys liked the end flashback of before. I just whipped it off because I didn't have any other ideas, to be honest.

_Moze opened the front door and squinted at the person on the other side. It was Missy, to Moze's surprise, her blond hair blowing slightly from the September wind. "Um.. Hello?"_

_"Morning to you too, Mosely" Missy said. "I have to ask you for a favor" She squints at Moze a little. "You look horrible" _

_"If it involves selling my kidney on the black market, no way." Moze put her hand on the door to shut it. _

_"This helps you too" Missy stuck a pink footed espadrille to block the door. "Aren't you just itching to get revenge" _

_" On who?" Moze leaned on the door "_..._"_

_"Shhh" Missy put her hand over Moze's mouth. "There are spies everywhere" She looked both ways. "Can I come in?" _

_"Sure" Moze sighed. As soon as Missy stepped in the door and she slammed it, Moze raised an eyebrow at her. "So why do you want to help me?" _

_"I've heard things" Missy solemnly said. "And you have a right to be mad" _

_"What do you get out of it?" Moze repeated. "You hated me" _

_"I didn't hate you, I feared you" Missy clarified. "There is a difference" She handed a paper to Moze. "You're on the popularity list. Number 3, to be exact. But if you want to get revenge...you have to prove that you deserve to be a part of the Tens"_

_ She smiled a grin that disturbed Moze. "And then we can bother the hell out of everyone simply by __being__ there. Then you can destroy everything from the inside out. By acting like nothing bothers you." Missy said. "Plus, Mosely? You really don't have any other options right now" _

Moze snaps the 2 year old diary shut. What was she doing reading that thing._** Because you wanted to figure out exactly what compelled you to join this soul sucking superficial clique.**_

She stands up, yawns and stretches. She walks carefully over to her dresser and picks up a hairbrush, running it through her hair mechanically. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Ned getting up next door. She turns toward her mirror quickly and puts down the brush after a few more strokes. Moze picks up a hair curler and glares at it for a few moments. _**Ah, evil curling iron. We meet again. In our last battle, you burned my head...**_ Moze tosses the curler down. "I swear I'm cracking up. Now I'm talking to my hair curler"

Moze eventually manages to make it down to the ground floor, where Suzie's car, like so many other days. She gets in, barely making eye contact with Suzie. Moze stares straight ahead as Suzie pulls out of the driveway.

"Looks like someone's a grumpy pants today" Suzie dryly retorts. "Not good for the popular group"

"I suppose" Moze stares out the window. It had taken Suzie a long time to trust her. To treat her like she was one of her friends. _**Hah. Friends. I don't even like them. I wonder how much of **__** her**__** buddy-buddy stuff is real? **_

Suzie glances at her for a second. "Do you need some concealer? You have dark circles under your eyes"

"I'm just tired" Moze says curtly

"You look dead" Suzie simpered.

"I feel dead" Moze darkly responds.

"Look. I know you're worried about the thing on Friday" Suzie taps her fingers on the steering wheel. "So I've got it covered. I bought your dress, got arrangements, and instructions on what to do with that hair of yours." She said the word hair with venom. "I told you to just dye it blond"

"I like my hair" Moze responds simply. _**Ned did too,**_hisses the inner voice.

"Fine. Just remember I have your best interests at heart" Suzie nods.

"Your roots are showing" Moze coldly changes the subject.

"Are they really? Should I get it touched up?" Suzie self consciously pats her dirty blond hair a little.

"You should do a whole new look" Moze turns away, and smiles maliciously. "Dye it platinum_**" It'll make you look perfect... perfectly hideous. **_

"Okay." Suzie says.

-db-

Everything was definitely not okay with Moze. She stared at the white scrap of paper as if it would change simply by looking at it. It didn't. Written in Mrs. Carlson's infuriatingly neat handwriting was her tutoring assignment. Ned Bigby, Room 100.

Moze peeked around the door frame. "I can't do this" She whispers to herself. "I can't" She looks out there again, at Ned's floppy brown hair. "This is impossible"

_**You do realize **_The inner voice says smugly _**That if he looks at the door, the decision is made for you?**_

"Shut up" Moze mumbles to herself.

Ned messes up his hair a little unconsciously. Moze sighs a little, then recovers.

"I don't want this" Moze leans against the door and slides down until she hits the floor. "Why is he back in my life right now?" She sneaks another peek around the door. Ned is about to turn the page on the paper he was doodling on before. But something stops him, and he stares at it.

_**Funny, I could swear that I saw my name there. Maybe he's staring at a similar sheet, telling him that I'm supposed to be tutoring him, but I'm not here. **_She thinks for a second. _**Or maybe he's secretly thinking about you, and is staring at your name written in his binder 100 times. **_ Moze smiles faintly at that. She must be insane. Moze looks at him again. "To go, or not to go..." Moze gets up and runs toward the girl's bathroom.

A few moments later, she finds herself throwing up.

-db-

Moze stares at the mirror once more, fearing to look at the clock. At nine, the jock of the month would show up at her door with false enthusiasm and his daddy's shiny car. She picks up a tiny little pot with concealer in it and rubs it carefully under her eyes. The raccoon circles disappear instantly. Moze smiles slightly. Even if she wasn't exactly happy, the makeup would fake it.

_**Is that all you are now? Makeup and lies?**_ Asks the inner voice.

"No, I'm sugar, spice and artificial coloring" Moze says aloud as she reaches for an eyeshadow container. She spreads it over her eyelid, then applies mascara. Again, she gazes in the mirror, and hardly recognizes the person that she sees. Her newly cut shoulder length hair came from Jackson, a one name stylist that Bitsy had to drag her to. Although she hides it well, Moze likes it because it reminds her a little of middle school. Her not-natural blue eyes pop because of the eyeshadow. Finally, she forces herself to look at the clock. She had a full 20 minutes.

20 minutes to look through her jewelry box and figure out what she was going to wear Moze muses. She rifles through it, and finds something that she hasn't seen in years. The diamond necklace that Ned had given her for their first and only anniversary. She, for an inexplicable reason, despite all the pain and sadness she associated with it latched it behind her and smiled.

The digital clock blares 8:56. Moze sighs and sits by the door, listening to the little sounds of the house. It was, as usual, lacking her parents, who were somewhere or another. As she waits, she did another quick check. The clip that made her dress form fit was perfect, her very slightly wavy hair bounced. But she wasn't happy. She sees the date bounding up the walkway leading up to the door.

The guy is like most of the other idiot jocks that she had dated from 10th grade and up. Blond haired, blue or green eyed, athletic, but not much going on behind the eyes. He smiles widely at her. "Jennifer?"

"Hi..." Moze didn't want to let on that she didn't recall his name, so she just nodded.

"Should we...go?" The guy slumped a little and shuffled his feet.

"Okay" As he headed to the door, Moze rolls her eyes. "This is going to be a looong night" She softly says.

After five minutes in the car with Jock Boy, Moze completely gives up on the small talk idea, and just stares out of the window, pondering exactly what is wrong with her.

"You've got really pretty eyes" JB says

_**Great, the only part he likes about me is the part that isn't real. **_

"Well, Suzie was right." Moze smiles weakly. "You are exactly what I thought you'd be"

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Jock Boy says.

"Yeah" Moze replies shortly. She inspects a strand of her hair. Funny, she hadn't recalled telling Jackson to lighten her hair in highlights...

The rest of the ride to the middle school was awkwardly quiet, with the only noises coming from the sound of the seat belts unlatching.

Moze sits in the car for a few moments. _**Okay Jennifer. Be ready to put on the appearance that you are happy, problem-free and perfect. **_She gets up and stands in a corner between the outer wall and the door, a spot the Tens told her was the best to be seen.

As she chats mindless with the Jock, she thinks back to Ned, and hopes with all of her might that she can get through this time without seeing Ned's adorable face._** Wait a second..., did I just think that? **_

-db-

_Cookie, Ned and Moze were at Moze's house. It was a lazy August day; Cookie was practicing his diving on one side of the pool, Moze was sleeping with her sunglasses perched on her head as she floated on a pool float. Ned was bobbing in the shallow end slowly as he watched the sleeping girl. _

_" Hey,Cookie?" Ned asked quietly. "Look over there" _

_" Yeah?" Cookie shook his head as he surfaced from under the water a few moments later. "Moze is asleep... so?" _

_"How badly would Moze kill me if I interrupted her nap?" _

_"Pretty bad" Cookie said thoughtfully. "Nobody would ever find your body" _

_"Well, there's only one way to find out..." Ned carefully crept beside the float. He jumped on the end of the red pool float. "Hey,nothing ventured, nothing gained." He carefully tried to keep his balance._

_"Except your life" Cookie commented. "I'm going back to diving. Bloodshed always makes me a little queasy." _

_Moze's eyes shot open. "Ned?" _

_"Yeah..."_

_"What are you doing here?" _

_"I dunno, trying to bug you, I guess" Ned shrugged. _

_"Okay then." Moze tapped her chin in thought. "Hey, if you're on that side..." Moze frowned at him. _

_"What are you getting at?" Ned screamed as the pool float flipped over, spilling Ned and Moze into the pool. _

_"I hate you" Moze muttered to him as she dove to the bottom to retrieve her sunglasses from the bottom of the pool. Ned glared at Cookie, who was in hysterics on the other side of the pool. _

_"It's not funny!" Ned frowned at Cookie. _

So Review! Then you get chapters 4 of Ned's AND Moze's story! Oh, and for anyone who is wondering... Moze is NOT anorexic. The reason she threw up was because of nerves.


	4. Moze in Memoryland

Disclaimer: I don't own Ned's Declassified. Otherwise, it would be really easy to make this an episode.

Author's Notes: Okay, I just settled into Vacation-mode when I realized that I had packed my laptop with all of my chapters on it. Since I got a mind boggling 11 reviews in the few hours since I posted it, and the chapter was already written... well, let's just say it's Christmas in August for you. And this is also good in my case, because I hate using the hotel Internet station. Everyone can see what I'm doing.

_The night had started off innocently enough. It was their usual Friday movie, video game, pizza night. When Lisa had become Cookie's girlfriend, she was a part of their tradition. But her and Cookie had left about an hour ago. Ned had stayed behind because he didn't have to travel far. It had began as a wrestle for the remote, action versus romantic comedy, or something like that. _

_All of a sudden, they were rolling around on the floor, tugging the remote one way, then another. This wouldn't have been such a big deal; they often wrestled when they were little kids. But they weren't little anyone, and this wouldn't look quite so innocent if someone walked in. Especially with Ned on top of her the way he was, her blouse shoved up halfway, and his belt loosened somehow. The remote was long lost, their excuse gone. She looked at Ned, and Ned looked back at her. This should have felt uncomfortable, but somehow it didn't. They lay there for a few moments just staring at each other. Moze's eyes drifted downward, and she suddenly realized that his shirt had become unbuttoned in the fracas. _

_Ned smiled at her. There was a look in his eyes that she didn't recognize...at least not directed at her. Wanting? Needing? Love? _

_No matter what it was, what happened next was unmistakable. She felt his hand sliding up the back of her shirt, settling on her bra clasp . For a few seconds, it felt like she was having an out of body experience; like it was happening to someone else. Thankfully, she got her bearings back and took his hands in hers. She pressed them against his chest. "No" She said so softly that she wondered if she actually had said it. _

_Ned gazed at her for a few moments. Then he shot up like his tail was on fire. "Crap, Moze, I gotta go. I was supposed to be home an hour ago!" He ran out of the door, buttoning his shirt as he ran out. His face was flaming red. _

_Moze lay there for the next half hour, contemplating what had just happened there, and feeling a little cold from the loss of body heat. She was concerned... that was the first time he had left without at least saying goodbye. That was the least of her problems. She would never have guessed that would be the last time she would see Ned go through that door. _

Moze knew that the idiotic Jock in front of her probably didn't give a crap about her 8th grade locker door. But she pointed it out anyway. "This was in a national woodworking magazine"

"That's...like awesome" Jock Boy nodded, smiling all the way.

Moze distantly realizes that Jock Boy is yammering about something, probably about an athletic feat or something stupid. She can feel herself slouching a little as her mind wanders.

"...Shall we go into the gym?" Jock Boy says enthusiastically.

Moze perks up a little. "Sure" _**Apparently he can act like a boyfriend, rather than an idiot jock. Only when people are watching. **_

The instant she walks into the gym, she realizes it's not quite the same as when she went to Polk. That is clearly obvious by the green and yellow decorations, the confetti on the floor, and the DJ playing music as he waits for the party to start.

Moze sees Lisa, for the first time tonight, dancing with Cookie in a multicolored skirt. _**I'm glad Lisa is finally happy with Cookie. **_

"Friends of yours?" Jock Boy says to Moze.

"Once..." Moze says as she fiddles with her nails. "A while ago"

"Oh..." JB says to her.

"Can you get me a cookie?" Moze asks sweetly.

"Sure..." JB sets off to the other side of the gym, where the tables of refreshments are.

"Jennifer?" Moze hears a voice coming from her left. She turns around, about to yell at the person trying to talk to her, to tell them that she's not in the mood to talk. But it's someone she wouldn't mind talking to. Mr. Chopsaw.

"Jennifer!" He smiles at her. "How are you doing? And why is Ned over there talking to Mr. Sweeny, instead of being over here with you."

Moze ignores the second question. "Ummm, I'm doing fine."

"You look very uncomfortable" Mr. Chopsaw observes. He looks down to see Moze shuffling her feet in a pair of black heels. _**You have no idea **_Moze thinks _**Because I'm trying to ignore that second question.**_

"They hurt. But I am stylish!" Moze grins perkily and flips her hair onto another shoulder.

"Didn't we have this discussion about fashion when you were in Eighth grade?" Mr Chopshaw asks.

"Yes..." Moze sighs.

"Well, I still wear the shirts." Mr. Chopsaw says. "I still think you should go for comfort rather than style." He squints at her. "Are your eyes blue?"

Moze just stares blankly at him.

"Anyway, you never answered my question earlier" Mr Chopsaw said. "Why is Ned not over here? Last I heard, he couldn't stop talking about you...Trust me"

_**Did he really? Then why did he...**_But she doesn't voice this thought. "Well, we had some...issues" She carefully side steps the issue.

"Did the recommendation I wrote to your wood shop teacher help you?"

"I'm not really into woodworking anymore"

"You know? I've never found a woodworking student as good as you" Mr. Chopsaw says honestly. "I think it's a shame to throw away something like that for an attempt to be popular"

"Okay." Moze nods. "I'm going to circulate." _**And pray that the 10s don't make fun of me for talking to a 'dorky' teacher. **_

"I'll see you, Jennifer" Chopsaw waves her away.

Moze walks a few steps further, then lets out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "That was a close call"

This reunion was not going well. Her eyes swept along the crowd, seeing teachers that were bound to ask questions about her and Ned. The other alternative was talking to kids her age, who were probably going to ask that question as well. Although their questions would be more "What happened with you guys" rather than "So, how are you two doing?".

Moze looked at the dancing crowd. Among them was Claire Sawyer and Backpack Boy, who she noted were dancing together. She sees Mr. Wright climbing the steps to the podium, most likely to interrupt the dancers. _**For once, I'm actually happy to hear a speech. Less pressure to dance with the idiot Jock Boy. **_

"Everyone! Quiet!" The crowd becomes quiet. "I will try to keep this speech to a minimum. I know very well that you all despise long and tedious speeches. I know, I myself don't like them." To that, the crowd laughs falsely. Mr. Wright straightens his red tie in a panic and begins speaking once more. "Today, we are all here to reunite ourselves with the past, so to speak as we rediscover and recall some happy moments from the times you spent here. These people.. this place.. these things you will remember. So go reacquaint yourself with the past" He waves a hand at some white posters hanging all over the walls. "These posters have pictures donated from your fellow students. They're all over the building, so have fun looking for them" He steps off the podium, with everyone's eyes on him in shock. "Go!"

Moze moves out with the rest of the crowd. _**Go reacquaint yourself with the past? I'm more worried about reacquainting myself with Ned. And our past. **_

Moze walks down the hallway, past the cafeteria, suddenly realizing that she lost Jock Boy somewhere. As soon as she thinks about it, he appears at her side, as if summoned by magic.

"Hey, where were you?" JB flashes his pearly whites at her. "We're supposed to be a couple, remember?"

"Right" Moze smiles at him, somewhat pleased that he's making more of an effort to be her fake boyfriend.

"So..." He leans toward her, about to kiss her.

Moze leans in toward him. _**This isn't right **_hisses her inner voice _**Is this what you really want?**_

Moze pushes him away. "Sorry..I'm just not..."

"It's okay" JB says patiently. "I've seen this a million times"

_**Oh..no... does he mean what I think he means? He KNOWS! Am I that obvious?**_

"My mom goes through it all the time" JB assuredly says. "Pity. PMS can totally wreck your system"

"Yeah..sure..." Moze mumbles. _**It's not PMS... It's about 10 times worse. **_

"I have to go do something... will you be okay?" JB cautiously says, like he's afraid that she'll pass out at any moment.

"Okay" Moze nods. She wanders down the hallway, in the opposite direction of the bathroom. JB doesn't even notice. As she walks down the Seventh grade hallway, she sees posters all over the walls. She steps closer to the poster and frowns at it. It had an enlarged picture of Ned and Moze gazing at each other. Moze recognized it as the picture they used in the yearbook for the "Couple" category they had won in 7th grade. _**Ugh, is this what the whole night is going to be? Me avoiding people and looking at pictures that remind me of painful memories. **_

Moze moves over slightly and looks at the next poster, one of Cookie doing the last day of school dance. And she burst out laughing. _**Well, this isn't a painful memory. **_Moze studies the picture more. _**I wonder why Cookie took Ned's side when everything happened. Funny, considering what happened, Ned's in the wrong. **_

Moze turns her head towards the hallway, hearing footsteps. More specifically, it was the sound of high heeled shoes. Meaning it was most likely one of the tens. "I need some place I can hide..." Moze plots and paces in a slow circle. "Okay, tunnels that Cookie built... No Gordy destroyed those...Gordy's closet..." Moze smiles slightly. "Ned's probably hiding in there...oh...duh!"

-db -

Moze pushes open the hatch leading to the roof. It had been painful for her to walk up the emergency escape ladder with her heels, but somehow she had done it. The roof looks exactly the same as it had when they were in 8th grade. It is still messy (as was most of the school, due to Gordy's laziness, though not health-code violating ). It is reassuring to Moze somehow, because as much as everything changes around her, it still had remarkably stayed the same. She walks stiffly over to the corner of the roof directly over the overhang, sits down and lets her feet dangle. "Funny how this seems so much smaller now"

Moze bites her lip as she stares off into the darkening sky. The stars weren't out yet, so it seems like the sky is halfway between two things._** Like Ned and me. We're not really enemies, but we're not friends. **_

Moze smacks her head. "I think I need a psychiatrist" She scratches her arm without thinking. "I wonder if he's obsessing even half as much as I am." Moze closed her eyes. _**I wonder if I can hide up here for the whole reunion.**_

Moze shakes her head. "What the hell am I thinking! I am not going to hide from Ned." She smacks her left fist into her right palm. "Here's what I'm going to have to do. First I'm going to have to get over him by being with Jock Boy, even if it kills me, Second, I will tutor him so I'll remember why he's not so great, and Thirdly, I will move on and live happily ever after."

Moze hears some muted shuffling, and the sound of the hatch opening. She closes her eyes. It could only be one person. The one person that had invaded her mind.

"Moze" Ned questions her quietly. " Do you want a drink?" Moze purses her lips._** What. The. Hell. Is. He. Doing. Here. And why is he asking me if I want a drink?**_

"Oh." She doesn't take her eyes off the night sky. "You." Her face has a sour look on it, as if she swallowed a lemon. "I'm with my boyfriend. If I wanted something, I'd ask him to get me one" _**But you're not with him now! **_Says the inner voice smugly. _**So if you wanted to say... furiously make out with Ned here, nobody would know! **_Moze frowns a little _**Stop it, inner voice! **_

"Listen, I'm sorry.." Ned starts. Moze knows that he's trying to think about what to say, because of the scrunched up look on his face "I..."

"I don't know you" Moze's voice comes out tired and with obvious agony. "And I can't think about you anymore. It's too painful."

Moze knows that she's drawn a line between them. A barrier that ensures that they can't be friends. That she harbors ill will towards Ned still.

"Moze" Ned says oncemore. "I'm.."

"We've done this before." Moze's vision blurs in front of her as she stares off into the distance. She takes a deep breath and sighs. Once again, her inner voice has an opinion about it. _**What are you doing!!! Why are you lying to him!!! "**_Ned, I'm over this"

Moze can distinctly hear Ned getting closer and closer. Unexpectedly, he stands next to her. "..Over what?"_**So close...and yet so far. **_

"You.. me..our past" Moze picks at a loose thread on the hem of her dress. She refuses to meet his eyes.

"Oh" Ned replies grimly. "If that's true" He questions with a hint of wistfulness in his tone of voice . "Then why did you come up here!" _**Bad question to ask...Because I don't know the answer to that myself. **_

"You mean with all of its memories" Moze smiles weakly at him. She points to a corner of the roof's sign and blatantly ignores the question Ned asks her "Do you remember when..."

"We were making out the day before graduation and broke the corner off of the sign. " Ned finished her sentence. "Yeah.. I do" She hears him sigh from exasperation. "Why here?"

"I don't know" Moze says softly. "Ned?" She looks at him for the first time since. Really looks at him. Not a passing glance in the hallway, not a popular girl mandated glare, where you don't really see the details...a real look, where you memorize the person's face. Ned's blue eyes haven't changed a bit, but his lower lids have a hint of dark circles. His brown hair is messed up a lot, and it's sticking up in some parts. But the weirdest part was the weasel, sleeping peacefully on the crown of his head, looking rather like a furry woodsman hat. _**Oh...my...god... I am ogling Ned. Even with a weasel perched on his head. **_

"What?" Ned sits down on the edge next to her._** Even closer...and yet so far still **_

She locks eyes with him for a few moments, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. Moze wipes them away. Then she twists her face into a twisted sort of smile. "Why do you have a weasel on your head?" She softly says. As soon as she says that, though, the weasel scurries off of Ned's head and goes away into the air ducts.

"...Moze?" Ned touches her hand carefully. _**His hand is warm. **_

"Tell anyone whose looking for me, that I'm in the bathroom handling girl stuff" She jerks her hand away, and waves him away as she responds flatly.

Ned walks away, looking dejected. He opens the hatch and walks down, without another word. He casts her one last glance with an emotion Moze can't quite identify.

-db-

_"Where do you think we're going to be in 20 years?" Cookie asked one warm night as he lay in Ned's backyard, next to Ned, with Moze on Ned's left. _

_"What is WITH all of the questions lately!" Ned grumbled. "First Moze asks me if we're going to be friends forever, and you ask me another question?" _

_"Awwww, is this too hard for you, Neddykins?" Moze taunted. "Two questions...so hard!" _

_"Well" Cookie interrupted. "I know this—we will be 28 years old" _

_"That's such a long time from now." Ned pouted. "I can't think that far ahead" _

_"I think..." Cookie placed his hands on his head in an attempt to look like a prophet. "Ned, I think you'll be married to Moze"_

_"What!" Ned jumped up from his sleeping position. "No way! That would be like marrying my best friend!"_

_Moze slapped him. "I am your best friend, dumbo!"_

_"Ooh, problems in marital paradise?" Cookie mocked. "Ooh.." _

_"Shut up" Ned growled, his cheeks flamed red. _

_"I think you're going to marry Lisa" Moze offered_

_"That wouldn't be so bad" Ned commented. "She's nice, and just as computer obsessed as you are"_

_"Seriously, guys" Cookie looked at them. "If Moze gets rid of her violent side..._

_"May I?" Moze glanced at Ned. _

_"Sure." Ned nodded_

_Moze launched herself at Cookie, punching every part she could. _

_"Ow! OW!"Cookie shrieked. _

So, tell me what you think, what you really, really think!


	5. Exposed

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! I wish...

Author's Notes: Well, you already know about why this is all late, if you read Ned's story... And if you're reading this first, shame on you, and go read it first. And I am very surprised that there are only 6 reviews for this story... I really only try to update if there are about 10, but since there are 10

in Ned's, I kinda had to update...

_It was the usual Friday sleepover that happened every two weeks or so when Moze was a Junior. This event was no different from any other. The only difference from the last times Moze had gone was the fact that it was at Bitsy's home. As always, only the top 5 were invited, there was no adult in sight, and there were large amounts of alcohol. It was about September_

_"So everyone...?" Bitsy grinned as she held her vodka glass in her left hand. "Next question... when was your first time" She looked around the circle. "Reverse popularity order, so Lexy first" _

_"Otay" Lexy gurgled. "Um... let's see.. jeez, it was a long time ago..." She paused, and too another sip of her drink. "I think it was this junior at a party.. I dunno, it was so fast..." _

_"Hmm. Okay" Bitsy stared off into space. "Let's see... I believe it was Elyssa's boyfriend freshman year" _

_Missy frowned at her "Isn't Elyssa the one that has a black belt?"_

_"Yeah." Bitsy drunk-happily smiled. "Worstest beating over a guy ever" _

_Missy raised her eyebrow, but shakily. She was clearly pretty wasted. "One of Basketball Boy's friends" _

_"Do you mean Seth?" Moze spoke for the first time that night. Her glass sat next to her steadily, completely untouched. She knew the real reason for these sleepovers was so that everyone had dirt about each other. With that in mind, she knew she had to keep her wits about her. _

_Missy simply nodded. "So, Jennifer..." _

_"Nope. Never" Moze folded her hands in her lap. _

_"Really?" Missy raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you were pretty hot and heavy with..."_

_"Faymen!" slurred Lexy. "Seth!" She waved her cup in the air, the alcohol sloshing over the side._

_"Suzie?" Bitsy asked. "I'm sure you have a story for us" _

_Suzie stood up to get another bottle of something from the cabinet. She pauses for a moment "It was in the June of freshman year" She said as she staggered slightly back to her space. "With Ned"_

_"Oh he was a cutie" Missy smiled _

_But Moze wasn't listening. "That was before we broke up..." She thought._

Moze got up and headed down the escape hatch. "I guess I can't avoid the party any longer._**" I wonder why I thought of that sleepover? It wasn't exactly pleasant... **_

As soon as she takes a few steps away from the hidden ladder, Merry appears. "Jenny! We were wondering where you had gotten off to."

"Girl Stuff" Moze whispers.

"I know." Merry blinked at her in a zombie like way. "Missy told me"

_**He...did as I said. **_

"Jen?" Merry looks sideways at her. "You okay?"

"Always" Moze slaps on a fake smile that she always has. "How's the party?"

"Fantastic" Merry says as they walk to the gym. "Boy, Suzie sure can pick guys, right? The date you have is so attentive!"

"Yeah, he is" Moze says in response. _**That's why he ignores me. **_

Merry pushes the door open, letting her walk in first. "Go! Dance!"

Moze doesn't need to be told twice. She instantly disappears into the crowd of dancers, the fast paced music throbbing around her. "I hate dances" Moze murmurs as she looks for the idiot Jock Boy.

The DJ causes a wave of feedback as he attempts to get everyone's attention The DJ shrugs. "Sorry" He moves his headset slightly."Okay everybody, the person standing next to you is your dance partner for this song."

Moze turns to her right and sees Ned's face. _**Life?, why do you hate me so?**_

"Looks like we're partners" Ned's mouth curves into something resembling a smile.

"Looks like" Moze half smiles in response._** Who knows? Maybe this won't be so bad. **_The DJ queues up a slow song. Moze's eyes bulge._** Okay, maybe it will.**_

Ned gives her his hand, and they follow what the other pairs are doing. Moze puts her hands on his shoulders._** As minimum touching as possible. Then maybe he won't figure out that this is killing me inside.**_

_** "**_Why are you so stiff?" Ned whispers ever so softly in her ear as they slow dance in a lazy rectangle. He moves his hand down to her waist. _**Ummm... why is he doing that? Doesn't he know I have a "date"?**_

"Don't do that" She growls sharply at him. "**People are going to talk.**"

"I don't care" Ned quietly says. "I know it doesn't matter what they say about me, as long as I know what I am" _**You're a cheater. **_

"Thank you, Ghandi" Moze rolls her eyes as she spins around the room with him "That was incredibly enlightening" _**I knew something was wrong near the end. I didn't have to know the details. But when I found out...**_

Ned just frowns slightly and holds her a little tighter as if to spite her._** But something keeps telling me that some thing's not right. **_

"What about my boyfriend?" Moze visibly stiffens a little more. "What is he going to say? What's he going to think?" _**He probably isn't going to think much..he's pretty dim.**_

"Oh, you mean the boyfriend who was making out with Jilly in the bathroom not that long ago?" Ned spits out sourly. "That one?"

"What!" Moze stops in the middle of the dance floor, causing other dancing pairs to crash into each other. Ned can practically hear the scratching record in the background. _**Really now? **_

"That's right" Ned lets go of her, his hands hanging down languidly, and his eyes wild, like an actor in a western, about to draw a gun.

"It..I can't..." _**But it makes sense. **_

"And if you noticed anything other than what people think of you, you'd know that"

"I don't believe you" She quietly replies. "I can't" _**But I do. And I hate having to act like I care what that little annoyance Jilly did with the other annoyance JB **_

"Well, you should."

At that, Ned dashes away, like he has a bomb strapped to his butt.

"Damn it, Ned, you can't leave me like this!" she screams after his retreating back. _**I sound so pathetic. **_

At that very moment, JB appears out of nowhere. "Hey there Jenn"

Moze squints at him. He reeks of cheap alcohol. _**Does it really matter, as long as I look like it doesn't matter that Ned left me? **_"Yeah. Wanna dance?"

"Okay" JB looks at her with an out of focus stare. "Fine"

"We're supposed to start dancing now" Moze points out.

"Okay" He takes her hand and they begin to dance slightly awkwardly. JB is staggering and barely managing to stand up straight. "Hey, you wanna..."

"No! Not a chance in hell!" Moze hisses under her breath grumpily. "I don't have time for your stupidity right now. Just shut up and act like you like me"

At this, JB begins to yell at her "Don't yoo tell meh wha too dooo Jenishfer" Moze notices that his voice is slurring and that he's pretty much not in focus._** I'm starting to think this was a big mistake. I think Suzie hates me. **_"Yoo jusht a..." He begins to say. But he never gets a chance to finish his sentence, because he falls over suddenly, his eyes glaze over and he retches.

Moze looks around quickly and looks at the spectators watching the horror that unfolds in front of them. _**I hate you people. **_

All of a sudden, Gordy zips out of nowhere, picks up JB and tosses him into a garbage can.

"Um..hi?" Moze whispers as Gordy zips by.

"Oh...my...gawd!" Jilly flaps her hands nervously. "I can nawt believe that he would do that to you!"

"I know..." Moze faintly responds. _**Maybe you can't believe that. Because you know him better after what you did. **_

"Jen?" Lexy pats her on the shoulder. "Don't worry"

In the corner of her eye, Moze can see Ned sneaking away. Somehow, she had totally expected that. "Lexy? Jilly?"

"Yes?" asks Lexy with concern slightly showing in her voice. _**Hmm. Maybe she's clean today?**_

"What?" Jilly mock-sweetly says.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom" Moze sharply said. "If I don't come out in a while? I'm sick"

"You got it" Jilly says as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

Moze goes into the teacher's bathroom on the other side of the school. She crouches on the seat, balancing on her heels precariously so that nobody can see her in the stall. She leans her head on her kneecaps and sighs tiredly.

-db-

Moze peeks her head out of the door to the ladies room and looks left and right. Seeing as there is nobody there, she walks out with her heels clicking on the floor. _**It must be later than I thought. **_Moze realizes as she walks out of the front door. The school is empty. As she steps out of the door, the storming cold rain soaks her perfectly styled hair. _**Typical. **_ At that very moment, Moze realizes that she doesn't have a ride home. "I am so doomed"

She stands under the overhang for a few moments, then sits down in the only dry area: a spot by the door. Moze leans her head against the wall next to the door and rubs at her eyes tiredly. Then she begins to cry. Not big bawling tears, but small tears that display pain that is hidden. Moze moves her foot back and forth, scraping the black heel against the pavement. _**Who am I? Really? I feel like a failure right now. **_She stares into the distant gray sky and sees the high school across the street. _**And I **__**have to go back **__**there **__**when this weekend is over. **_She lifts a finger and takes out her contacts. She opens the contact case that she hid in her dress, puts the contacts in it, and tosses the case into the muddy street. _**Not like I need them anyway. **_

The door on her left suddenly swings open and nearly smacks into her face. "Oh, sorry" A male voice mumbles from behind her.

"It's okay" Moze hears herself responding shakily "It's just that the weather sucks, and.." Moze interrupts herself halfway. "Why am I telling you this?"

"I don't know" Ned says as he shrugs halfheartedly. "I really don't"

A droplet of water drips off the awning onto the top of her head. The water continues to slide down her head unpleasantly. Moze stares at Ned. He gazes back. His brown hair is damp from the slight amount of water coming down from the leaky overhang. His blue eyes are a little red, almost like he'd been crying._** Over me? **_He crouches on the floor next to her. _**So close...**_

"I'm just.." She starts to say, as she runs her hand through her hair absently. Another tear leaks out of her eyes. Ned just looks at her with a mixture of expressions that she can't identify. _**Funny, you used to be able to read his mind. Now he's even more a mystery. **_

"Waiting for something, I guess" She takes a breath. "The date isn't exactly in his right mind right now." She wistfully remarks. "Little too much to drink, I suppose" Moze sighs mightily. _**Little? Looked like a lot to me. **_

They sit there, simply taking the sight of one another.

Ned stands up in an instant from his crouching position and offers his right hand to her. "Come on. You're so close to me anyway."

"Why?"

"Because you need help" Ned insists. "And I'm not about to leave a beautiful girl waiting outside a school with a neon sigh basically over her head that says **HURT ME. **_**Beautiful girl?**_

"Okay, fine" Moze gives in . "knight in shining armor" _**What is wrong with you? **_

"I like that" Ned takes her hand and lets her use him to pull herself up. "It has a nice ring to it." He pulls out his car keys from his front left pocket. "I wonder if I can get that printed on a business card?"

"The Saturn, right?" Moze points to it.

Ned turns to her. "You knew..?"

"Ned, give me some credit" Moze pulls her hair back and twists it to try to rid it of some water. Unfortunately, the water is coming down so hard that it immediately gets sopping wet again. "I'm not totally oblivious" She opens her side of the car and sits down. _**Wow. I don't think I've ever been in this car. Although I've thought of scratching it many times.**_

Ned starts the car in silence. "I have nothing to say to that"

Moze snickers slightly and lets out a reluctant smile. _**What does he mean by that!**_

He reaches a hand over to turn the radio on, but his hand collides with Moze's. He can feel a shot of electricity shoot through his hand.

She recoils, as if she touched a hot stove. "Sorry" she mutters. _**Was that...a spark?**_

They continue down a few roads until Moze speaks. "I'm sorry, you know." She fiddles with her skirt, ripping out a few threads.

Ned's flat expression on his face changes. "Oh, she speaks" He says with bitterness clearly in his speech. "I'm so shocked. Considering how you've been treating me, that is."

"Ned" Moze's voice changes to a warning look. She stares out the window for a few moments. "Stop." _**He couldn't possibly know. **_

"Your wish is my command, milady" Ned presses on the brakes lightly. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel as the car comes to a halt.

"What the hell!" Moze smacks the dashboard with the palm of her hand, causing it to sting. "What did you do that for?"

"Sorry, can't resist" Ned starts the car moving again "What do you expect, Miss Popular, for me to just bow to you like the rest of the sheep?"

A nerve near Moze's cheek begins to twitch. "I just..I know that you wouldn't" She takes a cleansing breath and begins to speak again "Did you know you're the only person who still calls me Moze?" **_Better that than Jen, Jenni, Jenn,Jenny, Enny, and the other 1000 ways that the popular group mutilates my name. _**Hisses the little voice in her head.

He silently nods in agreement.

"That's probably why I was so cruel to you on the roof" Moze's gaze is far away now. "It just brought me back. And it scared me" _**And that's no small exaggeration.**_

"I don't really know what to say to that" Ned says honestly. "I really don't" _**Say something to fill in the awkward silence. **_

"I missed this a little" Moze says suddenly. "With the Tens, it seems so..."

"I would imagine, fake" Ned dryly retorts. "All sugar and spice and artificial coloring. Oh and boob implants for some of them"

"Not that you would know about the popularity" Moze fires back. "And I really hope that you don't know about the implants thing" She rubs her eyes again tiredly. "I'm sorry" She apologizes softly. "I'm so used to the popular way of life..To conqueror and belittle"

"It's okay, You can't help the way you are"

"Yes I can" Moze's hands grip the dashboard until her knuckles turn white. "It's just.."

"I know" Ned says calmly. "Just relax. You'll be okay"

-db-

Somehow they had ended up here. To be really specific, here was Bryant Park, the park where so many important things have happened . More specifically, they were in the back of the car, him lying on top of her. He was being very cautious as not to smash her, with most of his weight resting on his hands. Her hands and arms are wrapped around his neck, and she smells the familiar scent of Ned: fabric softener and soap. It brings her back to the elementary school days. The simpler days.

Moze kisses him slowly, and she feels like she can fly. All of a sudden, he rolls over, and she is suddenly on the top. He slips a hand through her hair sleepily._** This should feel so wrong, but it feels so right. **_Moze's back feels a sudden sharp pain in her back

Moze reaches behind her and unlatches the pin holding her dress back. She lazily smiles at him. _**I could stay here for the rest of my life**_. . She carefully places it next to her shoes. She lifts a pointer finger and lightly traces his face slowly as if she's never seen him before. _**Oh my god, what if he thinks I'm a freak?**_

Ned lazily grins as she leans her face on his chest._** Ned's not like everyone. Ned doesn't care about popularity and the popular-kid lists. Or that I'm not number one on the list. **_She shifts her entangled legs in his and smiles._** What about the Tens? What will they say if they find out?**_

Moze looks at him with a worried look in her eyes. **_Screw them. I'm happy. _**She kisses from his jawbone all the way to his mouth, causing his eyes to widen in shock. _**And so is he, I hope. Even so...**_

Ned smiles drowsily and relaxes.

"We shouldn't be doing this" Moze breaks the silence with an uncharacteristically high voice. She sighs contently. She rolls Ned on top of her as she twists a lock of his brown hair.

"Why?" Ned says softly. "Why not?" _**You shattered me by breaking up with me. You turned Cookie against me...And I don't know if I can trust you.**_

"You always did think that you had the answers." Moze responds in a sweet tone. "Sometimes there are none."

A little light bulb goes off in Ned's head. He shifts off her and tries to get his bearings back.

-db-

Ned's car comes up in front of Moze's house slowly. He presses the button to unlock the door. Moze bends over and picks up her shoes, her cell phone and her lip gloss. She pushes open the door, her heels held in her left hand. Before she shuts the door, Moze opens her mouth _**What can I say? I'm sorry for being a dysfunctional person? I wish it had never happened, and sometimes I wish it had never stopped? **_But instead of speaking, she snaps her mouth shut , closes the door quietly and walks up her walkway in her bare feet.

She gets her key out of the hidden pocket of her dress and is about to put in the lock. But she doesn't put it in, turn it and walk inside. Instead, Moze stands on her porch, watching Ned out of the corner of her eye. She sees him throw himself inside, as if he's trying to flee the outside. _**Does he regret it too?**_

Then, Moze turns the key in the lock, letting herself in to the dark house. "Mom? Dad?" Hearing silence, She takes a quick glance at the clock. _**2 am? Where the hell are they? **_She quickly answers that for herself. _**Not here. **_

She throws her ruined shoes on the floor and stomps up the stairs to her room. "Even if they were here, would they necessarily care?" Moze opens her cell phone and stares at it stupidly for a few moments. _** What, were you thinking of calling him? You deleted his number. It was too hard not to call. **_She opens it up and looks at the display, loudly declaring that she had 9 voice mail messages. One from each of the other 10s. The old Moze, the one that was so into this whole popularity thing, would have called immediately. The new Moze...who knew? She sure as hell didn't know herself. She snaps the phone shut, tosses it into her nightstand and curls up in a blanket, reliving the night.

-db-

_"Just try it!" Ned said, pointing at the whirling playground toy ahead of him. _

_"I get nauseous" Moze tentatively said as she chewed on her thumbnail. "I don't wanna" She stared at the kid-powered merry-go-round that was in front of her. _

_"Are you scared?" Ned asked her. It was not in a cruel or sarcastic way, he truly wanted to know if she was scared. "It's okay, I won't spin it too fast" _

_"Are you sure?" Moze wavered. _

_"Positive" Ned smiled. _

_Moze squinted at him. "Okay..." She sat on it, holding onto the bars on it. Ned grabbed another bar and started walking slowly to make it spin around. He kept moving it faster and faster until he thought it was fast enough. At that point, all he could see was a light blue blur spinning around. When it stopped spinning, Moze stepped off, staggering and hardly standing up. _

_"Are you okay?" Ned squinted warily at her, as if she was in danger of dying any second. _

_Moze opened her mouth to speak...and promptly vomited on his shoes. _

So that's the chapter 5... What would you guys think about me setting up a forum to talk about this story? Review, or else you'll get an even longer gap between this and chapter 6.


	6. The Longest Week Ever

Disclaimer: I own nothing Ned's related

Author's Notes: Nothing new, just the same that there is one more chapter, this is not the end. Also,I'm so so so sorry that I haven't added more stuff lately, I've been so busy. Luckily, I've been sick the last few days, giving me nothing to think about but how this will eventually end. _** PLEASE REVIEW!**_

_Moze had the vague feeling of an animal being on display. Her room was filled with the popular girls, buzzing around her room, insulting her makeup and clothes. _

_"Eww" Jilly stood at Moze's closet tossing out a sweatshirt. It hits Merry in the face, and she staggers slightly. _

_"I don't want this touching me!" Merry flung it to the end of the room. _

_Scary as it was to admit, the only one who was offering any amount of help was Missy. The rest of them? Bitsy was out on the balcony smoking a cigarette, Lexy was curled up in the corner eating all of the chocolate in her house, and Suzie? She was next door making out with Ned. Moze had seen it, and looked away, her face burning red all of a sudden. What was she, a masochist? _

_"I didn't know you wore contacts" Missy held up a tiny container._

_"I don't" Moze studied the case. "My aunt got me them as like a gag joke. They're color ones"_

_"Put them in" Missy ordered. _

_Moze popped them in, after a little struggling with them. "Okay, look" _

_Missy grinned. "You look more like us now" _

_**But is that what I want?**__Moze thinks. __**Too late now, I guess. **_

_**-Saturday-**_

Moze leans against her balcony's railing, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. She hadn't been able to sleep. She had tried, that was for sure. But she tried for two hours. Now it was 4 am, and she was still reliving the encounter with Ned over and over. _**This throws a monkey wrench into my life. **_The balcony's flooring is a bit cold, and she wishes that she had gotten her slippers in her room. She wiggles her toes experimentally, and decides she doesn't need them. She looks down at the fence that divides her family's property and Ned's. _**I hate that stupid thing. **_

"Today wasn't any more different than any other day" She thinks aloud honestly. _**Is this like Juliet's soliloquy or what?**_. "I still saw you, you still saw me and we basically acted the way we usually do, dancing carefully around the inner truths that are buried so far you can hardly tell that they're there anymore. I tried to fight it, I swear. To keep everything the status quo." For a few moments, she watches him sleep, his chest rising and falling.

"I wonder if you dream about me? If you had trouble getting to sleep as well?" She hadn't looked in his room when he first arrived at home, it had worried her that he would see her and that he would think she was weird.

"But you did it again. You made me break away from my controlled existence this year and do what I really wanted all along. I just have to know. Among all things. Did you just prove to me that you have liked me perhaps loved me all along?" Moze waits, for an answer coming from within that refuses to come.

"NO!" screams Ned from the inside of his bedroom. The sound filters through his window and outside to hers.

Moze stops breathing for a few moments. _**No. no. no. he could not have heard me. This has has to be a dream. But I heard it. Clear as day. I guess I have to take that at face value. **_

She wrenches open the door leading back to her room with the last of her energy-and lets out an involuntary sob.

_**-Sunday-**_

Moze got up late. She hadn't slept peacefully, that _**NO**_ ringing through her head as she attempted to relax, interrupting her dreams of flying and clouds. Moze pulls on her slippers to go get the mail from yesterday, most likely not picked up by her parents.

As she sifts through the mail, hoping to find a love letter from Ned, (More realistically, she hopes for a magazine or something) But something catches her eye. Ned's sister, Johanna sits on her front step next door. As always when Moze sees her, she has a cup of coffee in her hand. Her gaze staring off into the distance looking at something Moze could never hope to see. _**Why couldn't that be Ned? Then I wouldn't have to seek him out. **_

Johanna looks at her watch quickly and jumps up, leaving her coffee on the porch. She runs inside, letting the door slam behind her. After a few heartbeats, Jo jogs back over to the doorway and grabs the cup. She connects eyes with Moze,but doesn't yell out anything in greeting like she used to. When they were more neighborly. Moze is the one to look away, fearing what Jo's eyes accuse her of.

Moze reenters the house, hearing a buzzing sound coming from the kitchen table. She picks her cell phone up from where she tossed it last night. She flips it open. The caller ID identifies it as Merry, probably calling to gush about her life. She looks at the screen and presses the answer button.

"Hey Mer" She says, feeling herself slipping into the old mold from before.

_**-Monday-**_

"Morning" Suzie says cheerily._** That scarily bright t-shirt matches her mood perfectly **_Moze thinks grumpily.

"Mmh" Moze mutters acidly under her breath as she hops into the car and buckles her seatbelt.

"You're just one big ball of happy, aren't you?" Suzie rolls her eyes. "You should have come shopping with us on Sunday. We were all there"

"I wasn't feeling well" Moze hands her the standard response

"You should really check your messages" Suzie answers, giving the usual reply as well. "What's voice mail for if you don't check it once in a while?"

"It's for people who are feeling better" Moze grunts. _**Is my life in reruns or what? **_

"I got you something new" Suzie pulls into the student parking lot and hands her a small little bag from one of those mall stores. "Because you don't like lipstick that makes you look pretty"

Moze ignores the obvious jab and takes the tinted lip balm it in her hand. _**It's a hideous color **_"Thanks"

"Happy Monday" Lexy smiles widely, showing her gums at Moze. She opens a little container, takes a small pill out of it and washes it back with a swig of water. "Feeling alright? Merry said you were pretty sick when she talked to you" She reaches into her handbag and takes out a little airline bottle of wine. "Need a little pick-me-up?"

"No thanks" Moze tastefully declines. _**Thanks, but I wanna have some brain cells left by the time I hit the legal drinking age" **_

"Mine" Jilly lifts the bottle out of Lexy's hand, pops the cover off of it and tosses it back with a flick of the wrist. She turns to Moze. "You didn't want that, did you?"

"Nope" Moze shakes her head. _**Just like I didn't want the guy that was my date on Friday. But you took that too, didn't you?**_

Moze hears the sound of footsteps coming behind her. She listens carefully. _**Doesn't sound like Missy's heels. In fact, its too heavy to be from any of the tens. Oh no. Could it be...**_

"And what do you think you're doing?" Moze can hear Jilly say to the intruder. She turns to face in that direction, catching a hint of blue from his eyes.

"I need to talk to Moze" Ned breezily states, as if he's not talking to the scariest 10 member.

The first bell rings. _**Saved by the bell **_Moze thinks, slightly relieved. _**Now all I have to do is get out of tutoring and I'm great. **_

"And by the way?" Missy looks at him icily. "Her name is Jen"

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that" Moze sharply refers to Missy. Ned shuffles away, looking like a puppy that just got kicked hard in the butt. Her and Missy turn the corner, taking the long way to PreCalc "Stop calling me Jen, Melissa!"

"Don't call me that" Missy says. "Just don't"

-db-

Moze sits in her class, watching Mrs. Carlson blather on some more. Missy, who sits next to her in math, flips her a note.

_**Truce? **_Says the note,

_**Fine **_thinks Moze. She nods in response.

The class ends. Mrs. Carlson pulls on her sleeve. "Miss Mosely, remember to tutor today"

_**Damn. **_Moze finds herself agreeing. "I won't forget"

Moze walks through the hallway, suddenly feeling like a freshman. It seems like the distance to the study hall was a million miles away, and was a fruitless journey. The bathroom is on her right, tempting her to go in and hide. _**I can NOT let this weaken me. **_She puts her hand on the cold metal handle and twists it open. Ned doesn't even look up at the sound.

"Mr Darden?" Moze whispers to the teacher. She remembers him. He was her social studies teacher in 10th grade. "Where is..." She pauses and feigns glancing at the piece of paper in her hand. "Ned Bigby? I have to tutor him this period"

Mr Darden adjusts his glasses and snidely remarks "He's sitting right over there, Jennifer."

"Thanks" Moze mumbles. _**PS, Mr D? I hated your class!**_

She looks at his face for a few moments. One last look before he starts talking and makes her feel funny. His shirt is slightly wrinkled and his hair has a piece sticking up. Yet he looks better to her than any other guy she'd gone out with.

He looks at her with a look of complete and utter shock. Then he exchanges a glance of recollection. _**Guess she DIDN'T tell him I was his tutor. **_Moze bends over to open her backpack and takes out a math textbook. "Okay" Moze says quickly. "Let's get started"

"Moze..." Ned whispers. So quietly that she's not even sure he's spoken. There are no words. _**What? Are you going to tell me that it was all a mistake? That you like me?**_

"So what are you having trouble with?" Moze asks._**Besides the ability to talk?**_

"Everything" Ned honestly tells her.

"From the beginning then" Moze opens the textbook and flips it to the first page"The first thing we did was review SOH/CAH/TOA..."

"I..." Ned begins

Moze doesn't say anything. She tosses him a glance, expecting him to continue. But he doesn't continue.

Under the table, his leg brushes up against her. Moze feels her face heat up. He leans his leg against hers, but she doesn't move it away._**Why am I spazzing out over this!**_

"So, do you understand this?" Moze asks him as the end of the period comes. The bell rings.

"Not when she said it" Ned lifts up his backpack "To be honest, I haven't understood a thing Mrs. Carlson has said this year. She scares me a little"

Moze half-grins at those words. _**How true. How true. **_

-db-

Moze stares at the rows and rows of the hair dye. She stands in aisle 10 of the drugstore in blissful anonymity. She runs her hand over the smooth and shiny boxes, all promising lasting color with ease. Moze picks up one called Iced Macchiato. _**Is this what my hair used to look like? Or more like this? **_She picks up another one that says Cafe con Leche.

"Jennifer?"

Moze twitches slightly, assessing who could be behind her. _**It's not the 10's,Cookie if he had to (not that he would) would call me Mosely, Ned would call me Moze... Lisa? **_

Moze slowly turns around. "Yess?" Below, she can hear the sound of the boxes hitting carpet, but she barely makes the connection.

"I can't believe you, Jennifer" Lisa slowly says. "I know about what he did. I'm not defending him. But did you have to say it like that? To take him and step on him with your freaking Prada shoes. I thought I didn't know you before, but this basically solidified it"

Throughout all of this, Moze is staring at her in astonishment. _**What the hell is she talking about? **_

"Look in the mirror, Jennifer" Lisa walks away. "I can't believe that you like what you see, knowing the way you used to be"

Moze bends over and picks up the boxes, deciding on the Iced one. _**I don't like what I see in the mirror, Lisa. That's why I'm trying to change my reflection.**_

_**-Tuesday-**_

Moze's hand flies over Ned's problem. Oddly, it was somewhat relaxing to fix his problem. _**His math problems, that is. His other possible ones? That wouldn't be so relaxing. **_"This problem is uses SOH, not CAH" She points to the answer. "How on earth did you get through Algebra II/Trig?" _**This is less awkward than I thought it would be. **_

"An act of a god" Ned says without any emotion. "Seriously, Cookie helped me out a lot"

"I'm seeing that now" Moze nods. "This is worse than that time I had to tutor those kids when we were at Polk" _**Back when you were still close friends with Ned. And Cookie was your best friend.**_ Her face changes back in an instant. "Why isn't he helping you out this time, then?"

"He's busy" Ned says. "His parents are renovating his room" _**Really? **_

"I can imagine his reaction to that"

"Plus Cookie's in AP Calculus this year, so he's under school stress"

"Aren't we all" Moze keeps up the meaningless chatter

"I can't even think about what I'm going to be doing next week, let alone next year" _**Hopefully you don't want to be away from me.**_

-db-

"...like oh..my...gosh! Seriously?" Lexy enthuses. "Mambo Mango? Too Cool For Words!"

"And like, it even smells like it!" Merry sniffs the end of the tube.

"Yeah guys, it does" Suzie comments. "Moze, what do you think?"

Moze (of course) isn't listening. She's looking at the corner table by the back door. Ned is talking to Cookie and Lisa. His back is to her, but she can tell by Cookie and Lisa's reaction that he's not exactly in a chatty mood. She wonders if Lisa told him about the encounter they had in the drugstore. She self-consciously plays with the bottom of her hair.

"Mosely, she asked you a question" Missy frowns at her.

"Mambo Mango's okay" Moze babbles slightly. _**Even though it smells like an artificial air freshener, it's GREAT! FABULOUS! **_"But I prefer Bumpin' Boysenberry"

"That's cool" Lexy reaches into her bag and opens a container. She looks to the right of her, making sure that there are no teachers watching her. Then, she takes out a small pale pill and swallows it.

"What was that?" hisses Suzie. "Don't do that in school"

"Can't help it." Lexy mumbles. "I have a test next period and I really need to concentrate"

"Go do it in the bathroom then! Not here!" Suzie hisses under her breath.

_**Just another day in this world. But... **_Moze looks over at Ned's table._** What if I was a part of that world again?**_

_**-Wednesday-**_

"Did you hear!" Suzie asks as soon as Moze hops into the SUV.

"Did I hear what?" Moze delicately reaches back and buckles her seatbelt.

"Seth told me that there was an altercation in the locker room yesterday" Suzie pulls the car out of park and pulls away into the dark morning.

"Since when do I care what Seth Powers does?" Moze asks somewhat jokingly. "I mean, after that rumor about him crying at a chick flick, I haven't cared"

"You might care about this one" Suzie smiles slightly maliciously. "Ned punched out your date from the reunion."

_**Really?**_Moze thinks. Inside, her inner voice is singing. **_I knew it! I knew it! If he didn't have some feeling for you, he wouldn't have done that _**Her inner voice sings with glee.

"He's not in trouble is he?" Moze asks with a casual tone. She feels a little jump in her throat. **_Why did he..._**

"Not unless Seth tattled." Suzie states "Rumor has it that he said something that Ned didn't like...and he just gave him the ol' right hook."

"Interesting" Moze outwardly shows boredom. _**Ned, you are a mystery.**_

"Mmmh" Suzie replies, parking the car and getting out. After a few moments of being in the parking lot, she notices that Moze is still buckled into her seat and hasn't moved. "Are you going to move at all?"

"Yeah, sure" Moze unbuckles, unlocks the door and steps out. She matches pace with Suzie and sighs.

"What did you do to your _**hair**_!" Suzie grabs a chunk of it and inspects it under the shining natural light.

"What I felt like doing for a long time" Moze speeds up and walks away, leaving Suzie with a completely addled expression on her face.

-db-

Moze went through the motions the rest of the day. She was much more confused than she had been before. _**Come on. **_Pleads her inner self _**What's the harm with Ned? **_Her response to that?_** Everything. **_

It's a huge relief to her when that final bell rings and she is released from Physics. It's always a relief to her, being that she really doesn't like Physics, but today she just wants to go home and hide under her covers.

Unfortunately as she stands by her locker pondering exactly what she needs to take, Merry walks by and taps her on the shoulder.

"Don't forget, we have a game today. Get your smiley face on!" She points at her chemically whitened smile "I can't wait to see you there"

_**Sure you can't **_ Moze thinks _**Sure**_

"It's too close to the game to make it home and back" Moze says aloud. "So..." Moze walks to the library, takes a copy of Forever in Blue off of the recent released stack. She settles into the beanbag chairs on the ground and reads until 3:30

-db-

Moze wasn't sure how she had become a cheerleader. She hates every aspect of it, from the perky cheers to the high kicks. Scratch that. She knew exactly why she became a cheerleader. Peer pressure from the so-called friends.

It was the halftime show, and the Dukakis cheerleaders had to do their usual show. Moze had gone to the practices and (sometimes) practiced on her own. But she could never get into the routine perfection that the other girls had achieved with ease. Every move was excruciatingly hard to do, every yell was painful to say.

"We're the Dukakis Wolves!" The group flip simultaneously.

"And we're here to say!" Yells Suzie with all of her might. This was where she shined, being the squad leader and cheering the boys onto violence.

"We're going to kick your butt today!" The rest of the squad screeched.

Energetically bouncy pop music throbs through the speakers, and they all shook their pompoms to the beat of the music. Moze does some complicated high kick/flip/hair toss/ butt wiggle, and barely registers it.

_**I can't do this anymore. **_Moze thrusts her arms in the air, wiggling the pompoms slightly. She twists, hops, spins and slightly wobbles. _**This lie.. I can't. **_

"Smile more" Lexy says out of the corner of her mouth. "They're going to think you're comatose"

Moze says nothing in what she hopes is a dignified silence. She lifts one arm up and twirls around in unison with the others. _**Who the hell are you to tell me what to do. **_

_**You drug-addled freak. **_

They all gather in a circle to throw their pompoms in the air. If all goes according to plan, they would gather into smaller groups and toss some girls in the air. But that wouldn't happen today.

Moze drops her pompoms in the dirt, and walks off.

"I can't do this anymore" Moze hears herself saying as she walks off the field, heading for home.

-db-

"What the hell was that all about!" Suzie yells at Moze, fury in her eyes. "Walking off of the field? Are you an IDIOT!"

Moze traces the scratches in the table. This pizza place might have been worn out, but it was homey in an odd sort of way.

"To be honest, Jen, sweetie, what Suzie is trying to say is, we're not pleased with your new attitude" Bitsy coughs a little, then delicately wipes her mouth. "What's with the new hair?"

"I like it" Moze says. _**Maybe if I say as little as possible, they'll think I'm dead. **_

"But we" Jilly waves a hand around their side of the table. Missy, Suzie, Jilly and Bitsy are all crammed on one side of the table. Moze is on the other, staring them down. "Are not pleased with how you are turning into a dork. I mean, tutoring Ned Bigby!"

Suzie tries to turn away at the mention of Moze and her shared ex boyfriend, but Moze locks her into a warning glance. No hiding from the truth.

"Who are you to talk to me that way" Moze evenly says. _**So much for the as little talking as possible. Just remain calm, Moze and you will get through this. **_"Number 5" (Jilly visibly winced) "You are clearly in no position to order me around" She glares sharply at Jilly.. "You're still on thin ice after messing around on Friday"

Missy, Suzie and Bitsy exchange a questioning glance. Then they look at Jilly for a possible answer. Moze's expressionless face turns to a smile of malice, clearly expressing to Jilly. _**"You want to play mean? I can do mean"**_

Jilly falls silent, her eyes focused on her lap.

"Bottom line" Suzie crisply remarks. "We have to stage an intervention"

"Is this what this is?" Moze's brown eyes narrow. "I was under the impression that this was an assassination of sorts."

"Don't be so dramatic" Bitsy dryly retorts. She opens her handbag and takes out a cigarette and lights it.

Any tiny, remaining belief that Moze has that these people were her friends had melted away. "What are you..." She begins, but lets out a coughing fit. "Put that out, I'm going to die"

"Miss, this is a non-smoking restaurant" A voice comes from Moze's left.

Bitsy doesn't bother to even glance at him. She reaches in her wallet and takes out a 5 dollar bill. She shoves it at him. Moze sees a flash of brown and the sound of shuffling.

"And as Suzie mentioned before, there's the big problem of you**WALKING OFF DURING THE MIDDLE OF A SHOW**! Missy hacks as Bitsy's smoke blows past her face. Moze notices that Missy isn't as cruel as the other girls. _**Probably because her ass is on the line. **_

Moze just stares at them open mouthed. "Why did I leave?" She puts up a finger. "Because I'm sick and tired of you and your stupid rules" She throws her shredded napkin on the table, yells her final words loudly and storms off

_**-Thursday- **_

_**This is pretty liberating **_Moze thinks with a slight spring in her step. The day was going well. Except for the fact that she had to basically rearrange her daily route to avoid anyone that might ask questions, everything is all right. However, right now she was supposed to be tutoring Ned. She spins around on her heel and walks towards the bathroom. _**It's not that I'm afraid **_She repeats to herself as a mantra._** It's not that I'm afraid**_

But her inner voice has something else to say. _**It**__**is**__** because you're scared. And you need to face this head on. Or else you'll feel sick for the rest of your life.**_

-db-

Moze opens her front door. "What are you doing here"

"I know you're mad"

"That's an understatement" Moze glares at the person on the other end of the door.

"I know" Suzie shuffles her feet slightly. "And I know we haven't really been friends for a long time"

"Again, a vast understatement" Moze taps her fingers against the door. "You slept with my then-boyfriend and later stole him away. No amount of time could change that"

"Um...Erm..." Suzie hedges.

"What?"

"The thing is, I never slept with him" Suzie turns away and starts walking down the steps. "I just said that because I had to. To fit in"

"What are you saying?" Moze watches her unlock the door with her key remote

"I'm saying that now we're even. If the rest of the group votes you out, at least you know the truth now" She climbs into her car and roars off, leaving Moze standing in the doorway.

Moze digests this information. _**Okay...**_And her inner voice (if a voice could smile) smiles and says _**You know what you must do. **_

-db-

Moze taps on the door with her knuckles. She waits for a few moments, and hears the sounds of the person on the other side fumbling with the lock.

"What!" He sighs sleepily,"You wo-whoah"

She smiles hesitantly at him. "Hey" After an hour of throwing everything in her closet on the floor looking for the perfect thing to wear, she decided on a plain t-shirt and jeans. Casual and more like herself.

"Hey" Ned looks at her with an confused expression.

"I have to say something" Moze distractedly unravels a loose thread on her jeans, and she glances through her new hair. "I know you probably think I'm insane right now. Everyone's been gossiping about my supposed breakdown"

"I at least have to apologize to you" Moze thinks about every word . "I know the truth now. And I'm sorry. And I have to do something I've wanted to do for a while now." She looks at Ned, whose hair is sticking up in the front. _**Poor Ned. Always a little confused. **_

"Even if you hate me, at least I won't be sleepless for the rest of my life" She puts her right hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry" She places her left palm on his opposing, and she shifts forward to kiss him.

At first, it is what she intended it to be. A peck. Then her body betrays her mind, and she deepens it. _**Oh, what the hell. **_She pokes her tongue out and makes it French. Not that this is going through her mind. All she can feel is a slight tingle that started in her stomach, then exploded into a full body explosion

Moze opens her eyes and just backs off, her eyes following his every move. Even with her understanding of most things relating to Ned, she never could have predicted this.

All of a sudden, she is face-to-face with the door.

_**What the hell just happened?**_

_Cookie had found her on the playground, crumpled into a small 9 year old ball. _

_"Moze? What's the matter?" Cookie touched her shoulder and she pulls her hand back, inches from his face. _

_"Nothing" _

_"No, not nothing" Cookie turned her around to face him. "Ned and I were going crazy looking for you"_

_"Ned?" Moze laughed a harsh, bitter laugh. "Really? He took his mind off Suzie to notice?" _

_"Don't be like that" Cookie frowns at her. "You know that you'll always be top friend with him and me" _

_"Always?" Moze blinked at him. _

_"Yeah." Cookie smiled. "Tell me what's wrong as we go find Ned." _

_"Well, my mom started yelling at my dad..."_


	7. Balconies and Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Really. Except for my sparkle heels. Those I loooveee.

Author's Notes: Well guys... this is it. The last chapter for this story (And Ned's clearly, since you've been reading along with his as well) As I said earlier, I'm kinda burned out in terms of Ned's Declassified. I do have another idea for a follow-up story...but I don't think that I will end up writing it. Just to be safe, I have not included the epilogue for this story I originally wrote. (This is a case where I started writing the ending to the story, then played the what-if game and decided I better not,in case this continuation comes to arise. Let me know what you think)

_The door slams in her face. _

_The door shuts loudly, proclaiming Ned's obvious reaction. _

_The door, which she knows as well as hers, closes. _

_The door, a symbol of unrequited feelings. _

Was is really a surprise that Moze can't sleep? She sits curled up on her butterfly chair, staring at the walls. She knows that it's close to midnight, and that she has school tomorrow. Unfortunately, this is not a guarantee for sleep. She squeezes her eyes shut and repeats over and over in her head _**Sleep and you shall relax. Sleep and you shall relax...**_

Suddenly, she hears a sound of something outside. _**I didn't know it was windy. **_She can swear that she heard her name being called. Then, there is the somewhat familiar sound of something hitting against the door. Ned and her used to throw stuff from their balconies to the ground every once in a while. It was also used for sneaking out of the house, on occasion. This can only mean one thing.

Moze gets up from her chair with a grunt. She pads softly over to the window/door like structure and crawls out. "Ned?" She questions with shock "What the hell?" On the ground, she catches a glimpse of the pin that secured her dress back when she went to the reunion. _**So that's where I left that**_

"Not Ned, only the fair Ned-eo" Ned says in response. _**Doesn't he know that that ended in tragedy?**_

"Ned, sweetie, it's almost midnight. More imperatively, what are you doing here" Moze walks haltingly to the railing of the balcony, She looks down at him.

Ned trots over to the maple tree that has been growing to the left of the balcony since her dad planted it when her mom and him moved in a long time ago. He struggles to get himself onto the lowest branch, then shifts so that his back is to the tree "Now I'm a sweetie?" He crosses his arms and gapes at her "You sure change your mind quick. You hated me all week"

"It's not that simple" Moze manages to say as Ned pulls himself onto the branch to the right. _**Please may my parents not wake up. **_

"It never is" He stops speaking for a moment "Why can't it be?"

"Stop over analyzing" Moze picks a tube of Ruby Raspberry lipstick off of her balcony where it lay forgotten. She motions as if she's about to throw it at him, but she pulls her shot at the last moment. _**Why did I buy this color anyway? I hate it.**_

"You wouldn't. You don't have the guts" Ned unsteadily stands on his section of the tree and falls over. "...Ow. Ow. I think I'm dead"

"That's just Karma"

"Come with me" Ned warily tries to stand up. "Please"

"Okay" Moze grins slowly. "But remember that you wore me down" She eyeballs the tree, then looks at Ned for a second. "But if it's all the same to you, I think I'll take the door"

"Fair enough" Ned replies.

"Actually.." Moze jumps into the tree with practiced ease then crawls down._**I still got it! **_Her right foot slips, and she falls backwards into Ned's arms.

"Hey" Moze replies

"Hey" Ned looks at her. Despite the absurdity of the situation, with both of them in their jammies standing outside in her yard, it feels oddly comfortable. _**If he smiles, does that mean he approves of my outfit? And is it so wrong to be pleased with that?**_

"You're certainly.. matching" Ned says to her as he doesn't know what to say

"I guess" Moze walks slightly closer to him. When he begins to head towards his car, she goes after him. _**What's going on?**_ "It was a birthday present from...Suzie, I think?"

"It must be nice having so many 'friends' that you can't remember who gave it to you" Ned sighs.

"Not so great" Moze rolls her eyes. "You could thank the wrong person and get into trouble"

"Oh" Ned's neck bobbles in agreement "But some things you remember"

"Mm" Moze stands in front of his car, and scratches her head in confusion. "So why have you dragged me out here in my jammies?"

"Its sorta a surprise" Ned plays with his keys. With a beep-beep, the doors are unlocked.

"Are you going to blindfold me?" Moze cocks an eyebrow. "Because that's not happening."

"Good idea. But no" Ned smirks_** (Cutely, Moze notices)**_**"**But no. I'm just going to let it be a surprise"

Moze slides into the shotgun seat. "Fine" _**What's going on?**_

"Don't be so tense" Ned says.

"Think about it like this" Moze answers. _**My stomach is doing the conga.**_ "This guy that I've known since I was practically a fetus basically slammed the door in my face after I kissed him. That's enough to make anyone tense."

"...well..." Ned just trails off. "I don't know what to say to that"

_**I know what you could say...**_"So where are we going?" Moze asks as the car moves forward.

"I told you, have faith in me" Ned gives her a slow smile.

"I have" Moze says in an even tone as she keeps her eyes locked on him "And it hasn't been always in my favor."_** And you better not deny it.**_

Ned's face turns redder than a strawberry as he keeps his eyes on the road. __"I know" He pauses as the road zooms by.

"Are you going to ask me?" _**Please say no...**_

"Ask you what?"

"What happened on the football field?" Moze yawns a tiny bit. "I know everyone is dying to know"

"To be completely honest, I don't care. Cheer leading never seemed like you anyway" Ned's shoulder goes up in a shrug as he makes a turn

"To be completely honest..." Moze mocks him. "It never really felt like it was me, either"

"The yellow hair dye or the color contacts? Or, better yet, the green and gold cheer skirt"

"Yellow hair?" Moze curls up in laughter. "You thought my hair was YELLOW?"

" 'S what it looked like to me" Ned smirks.

"I'll have you know that the skirt is yellow, and my hair was HIGHLIGHTED gold" Moze laughs loudly. _**God, it's been so long since I did that. **_

And just like that, it seems like the separation of three years has melted away, and everything is as it should be.

"So." Moze says stiltedly. "Suzie tells me..." _**If it turns out that she lied to me, I will...do something horrible to her.**_

"Moze, don't listen to a word she says" Ned squeezes the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles are turning white from the pressure.

"So you really did it with her?" Moze's face colors in a deep blush She turns to the window to see the trees zipping by "You know, I was so willing to believe her..."

"Wait, what?" Ned turns to her suddenly. "Huh?" _**My god, he looks sooo confused**_

"Haven't heard that in a while" Moze smiles faintly. "She came to me and said that you didn't"

"I never...I wouldn't..I..." Ned stammers. "I didn't do anything with Suzie."

"So you didn't?" Moze's face crumples into relief. "I just had to ask." _**Is that a relief or what?**_

"There wasn't a better way to ask?"

"Not one that I could think of" Moze shrugs. "So where are we going, again?"

Ned bites his lip. "I don't know?" He finally says

"You don't know where you're going?" Moze stretches an arm out to the door "Let me out of here. You're a predator! I knew it"

"..If I should tell you" Ned finishes. "Don't you like surprises?"

"No" Moze bluntly says. "Especially when they involve matters of the heart." _**Even more specifically,when they involve you.**_

"Can't blame you..." Ned says. "All I am to you is a series of disappointments."

"Some parts" Moze gazes out of the window to see signs zipping by "Not all of it." She yanks at a blue thread on her pants. _**I hope these don't fall apart.**_

"What's the rest?" Ned questions

He is given a silent stare.

"Well, I'll share what you make me think of" Ned wheedles. _**Ned? **_Screams his inner voice. _**Ned Bigby, what the hell are you doing? This is not the right thing to do!**_

"What, dare I ask?"

"You, Jennifer Ann Mosley, remind me of spicy food, lost Puppy-Bears, summer days, locker decorations, first kisses...and heart-shaped necklaces"

"Mmm, Puppy-Bear" The corner of Moze's mouth twitches to create a smile. "He's still around, for the record"

"It wouldn't be right any other way" Ned motions for her to start.

"You...remind me of more than any one person should. Of a grassy green field, monkey bars. Of stolen diaries and waffles on Saturday mornings. But of other things too. Of heartbreak and pain" _**...and so much more than that...**_

Ned doesn't speak for a while. "Sorry about the last two"

"What's done is done.." Moze answers. "Do you remember when Missy had an obsession with you?"

"That was one of the more horrible moments of my life"

So the trip goes on like that, trading stories and anecdotes. They rarely touch upon the missing years that they missed. A few things are mentioned, to fill in the blanks that the other has. But for the most part, it is too painful. A terrible reminder.

"We're here" Ned pokes Moze.

"Really?" Moze says. "Already?"

"I've been driving for a little more than an hour." Ned glances quickly at the clock in the car.

"So not already" Moze looks around. "Are you ever going to tell me where we are?"

"Um..." Ned begins. "You can try to figure it out as we go along, how about that?" _**This better not be an elaborate prank.**_

"Fine" Moze pouts.

Ned helps her out of the car. As she steps out, she sighs. "Tell me again why I went along with this insane whatever it is?" _**Because I trust him.**_

"Because you always go along with my insane schemes" Ned says with a complete poker face. They walk down a pathway made of stone and dirt. Ned prays that he remembers exactly where it is. If not...he's in huge trouble right now.

"Really? How come I'm so gullible?"

The two teenagers are in front of a tree with a blue t-shirt hanging from it. The shirt is very faded and has holes in it from weather damage.

"Wait, are we.."

"Shh.." Ned makes her go quiet by whispering in her ear. "We'll be there in a little bit."

"Oh my...go.." but Moze doesn't finish her sentence. They are at the Rose Garden in Huffington Gardens. Where it all began for them.

"So that T-shirt..."

"..is the one that got torn off of me about 4 years ago" Ned says with a hint of shame in his voice "I know its not exactly right..Because the flowers aren't blooming and stuff, but I really..."

"Ned" Moze places a finger on his lips. "It's okay" She removes her finger and replaces it with her lips.

And then he kisses her back. Then she knows that she did the right thing. And she allows herself to get caught up in the moment

Her left hand is interlaced with his. She becomes hyper-aware of everything from the slightly cool feeling of his hands, to the fact that her right hand is running up and down his back slowly. And at this moment, for the first time in a long time, she is not worrying about what the other 10s will think. At the moment, all that matters is the here and the now.

So that's it. The story. So, voice your opinion about this story. I'll make a deal with you. If you review both stories, I'll Private Message (Or e-mail if you prefer) my idea for a possible follow up to this.

Adios!

Darkbunny


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